One Hundred Years
by NYCDreamerGirl
Summary: Finally, Voldemort is vanquished. But Harry is unable to cope with this and runs. Will he ever return? Capturing one hundred years in time, Ginny and Harry cope with loss, love, pain and time. The single question is if they do it together.
1. An Eventful Night and A Red Sunrise

** Chapter One  
  
An Eventful Night**

The conference room where they gathered was unlike an ordinary conference room. The chairs were large, fluffy purple armchairs. Tables were non existent. The people who sat in these large chairs were a bit different from the norm as well. They each wore a set of robes and some still adorned cloaks, which had earlier protected them from the harsh winds of November. The reason this conference room was so different from most: the people who were in the room were wizards and witches, Aurors to be exact. They had just returned from battling a group of Death Eaters, or the followers of the darkest wizard ever known. Three had landed in the wizard's hospital, St. Mungo's.  
  
But, one man in the room was thinking not of this but of a woman sitting a few seats down from him. The famous Harry Potter saw her long red waves flowing smoothly down her back. Because she was looking at their boss, Amelia Bones, he could not see her large brown eyes with the hint of gold but imagined them. Her smile radiated in his mind. But most of all, dreams were inside him. A week before, he had asked Ginevra Weasley on a date but to him, she was not 'Ginevra', she was Ginny, his best mate's sister and one of his good friends.  
  
Out of the entire speech, all Harry Potter heard was, "All right, everyone, you did wonderfully in the battle today. Of course, you will all be on call in case there is another but hopefully, that will not come. You're excused." Harry rose at the same moment Ginny did. He casually walked over to her. She smiled brightly, the same smile he had just been thinking about, and said a greeting. She glanced him over to make sure he had come out of the battle without a scratch, and he had.  
  
"So, I better be getting home but I suppose I'll meet you at your flat around seven?" she said calmly. Harry was amazed. His stomach and heart were both doing flips inside and he felt sure his voice box had been removed. He opened his mouth and forced out the sounds.  
  
"Definitely! I'll see you then, Gin," he replied, sounding like a child who had just received a new toy. Inside, he swore at himself for sounding like such a large git but she smiled again. "I'll walk with you to the Apparating Room," he added, sounding much smoother. She nodded and they headed to the open office to collect their things.  
  
As they walked, Ginny felt like she was fifteen again. Every time her hand brushed against Harry's, her stomach flipped and butterflies flew through it. She could fell herself going a bit red. They chatted lightly as they walked, mostly about the battle. Ginny and Harry had arrived later, when most of the Death Eaters had either disappeared or been arrested. They captured a last one together before returning to the Ministry. Compared to previous events, this battle was rather small. Ginny guessed that the Death Eaters had been in their early stages of the Dark life, maybe just out of the Slytherin house at Hogwarts.  
  
Ginny was twenty seven while Harry was twenty-eight. Both were Aurors, and it was their greatest passion. Ginny often worried about Harry; the battle between him and Voldemort had lasted seventeen years now. The war had lasted thirteen, far longer than the first war. Harry was often depressed. All the Weasleys tried to lift his spirits at every opportunity but the effect never lasted more than a few days. She knew he still felt guilty for the death of so many but never realized how many countless lives he had saved.  
  
They finally arrived in the small room designated for Apparating. Harry said good-bye as he usually did but after an awkward moment, he extended it by kissing Ginny on the cheek. She did the same to him before Apparating away. Harry followed, but to his own flat.  
  
Ginny took extra care in the way she prepared for this date. Many thought she had long since lost her crush on the famous Harry Potter but in all honesty, since she had gotten to him, it had only grown. She pushed it down by reminding herself that they were just wonderful friends. This had worked for ten years now and finally, there wasn't a reason to suppress her crush on Harry, for he had asked her to come to his flat – for a date.  
  
The grin did not come off her face as she prepared. She wore her favourite green skirt and matching blouse and did her make-up with a little more precision than she usually did while preparing for work, though usually that included no make-up at all since it was usually a spontaneous emergency.  
  
She bit her lip in nervousness as the last seconds ticked by. Her fingers fiddled with themselves in her lap and her right foot was tapping the carpet impatiently. She took a deep breath. Why was she this nervous? It was only Harry! One of her good friends! But tonight, it was so much more than just being friends. This was the start of her dream, perhaps.  
  
The moment Harry got home he started cleaning up the house, though it was already clean. He showered and put on a nicer pair of slacks and a nicer shirt. He tried to get his hair to lie flat after fixing pasta for dinner and putting a warming charm on it, but failed. He heard a crack outside his door and threw down his comb. The doorbell rang and he waited just a second to answer.  
  
Ginny had pulled her hair up and curled it. She smiled at him and he returned the gesture. He took her cloak and hung it from the cloak rack in the entrance hall. He kissed Ginny's cheek as they greeted each other. Ginny's eyes widened a little when she saw the table. It was set for two with candles floating just above it.  
  
"Harry, this looks really nice!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Thanks. Here, why don't you sit down?" he replied, pulling out a chair. She sat and he sat as well. They started to eat and talk. Harry could barely take his eyes off the woman sitting before him. She complimented on his pasta and even helped to clear the table – with a simple spell her mother had taught her. They went to sit on the couch just as a large red and golden bird came flying in. They both recognized the bird and knew it was always a bearer of bad news. They were both sure it was from their old Headmaster but saw the handwriting to be the untidy scrawl of Hagrid.  
  
_Dumbledore's disappeared.  
  
Hagrid_

Tears smudged the small page. Harry tried to hide the note from Ginny but she knew him all too well. Reluctantly, with tears in his eyes, he let it slip into her hand. She read it and was silent with confusion.  
  
"I-I've got to find him, Ginny. I guess this ends our date. I'm really sorry!" Harry said. Ginny shook her head like he knew she would.  
  
"No, you're not going alone again! I know now too and I'm not letting you go alone! You don't even know where he is! Dammit, Harry, you're not going through this alone, not this time," she told him. Just as she finished, his scar burned terribly and his hand flung up to his forehead. "Harry!" she exclaimed but she knew to let him see it through. If Occlumency wasn't working, then it must be something more important than some small feeling. She pulled him into her embrace and combed her fingers through his hair, still unsure of what to do.  
  
"Mr. Riddle, I assure you that this was an incredibly dumb idea," said Albus Dumbledore. He was trying to reason with his former student. He had no access to his wand as the tall, cloaked figure held it tightly in his hand and Albus' were secured behind his back.  
  
"For once, you are wrong, Dumbledore! With you away from your precious school, all the little mudbloods are unprotected! My plan will of course succeed!" replied the raspy voice. "You are away from the one place that keeps you so safe and I am in the place where I belong – my thirteen-greats of a grandfather's old house...ah, the aroma of evil does subdue me, Dumbledore, it does!"  
  
Dumbledore stayed silent but his blue eyes never failed to twinkle. He knew this was not the end for him. No, this was far from the end.  
  
Harry was shaking when the sharp pain finally ceased. He let down his hand and leaned back. He felt Ginny's comforting arm around him as he caught his breath. "Are you okay, Harry?" she asked. He nodded, rubbing his scar. "What happened?"  
  
"Voldemort's gotten Dumbledore somehow. They're at some...great-great-great- grandfather's house, thirteen greats. That could be a thousand years ago!" he told her, infuriated. How was it even possible to track that? Ginny slid her fingers through his hair again, comforting him further. He finally opened his eyes to see her large brown eyes, compassionate as ever. He put his hand up to her face. Her skin was so smooth, so perfect. "How are we ever going to get him out?"  
  
"A thousand years, Harry, think about it. Hogwarts was created just over a thousand years ago! Salazar Slytherin's old mansion! It's in Wales and it's been closed to tourists for years but it still stands. Some say it's haunted but its Voldemort!" she explained. He thought about it for a moment before agreeing. That would be the place!  
  
They slipped on cloaks quickly. Ginny was preparing to Apparate when Harry took her hand. She looked at him and smiled and encouraging grin. Her heart was beating so hard, she was sure the neighbours would hear. He intertwined their fingers and kissed her hand before bringing her into his embrace.  
  
"We can do this, right? I mean, we've fought him together before, right?" Harry told her, remembering the several times they had fought the evil wizard together.  
  
There was, of course, the Chamber of Secrets. Harry was surprised she hadn't caught on then; it was so obvious. He went there to save her! He stood in the way when the Tom Riddle tried to kill her and why? Because he already had some strange feeling for her. He had stood between her and Death Eaters in his fifth year, willing to take a killing curse as long as she wasn't hurt, though he barely realized what he was doing then. He still denied his feelings. Since then, he had saved her from drowning in poisonous water filled with all sorts of strange sea animals. They, along with Ron and Hermione, had finally succeeded in capturing Peter Pettigrew after piercing Voldemort's stomach with Godric Gryffindor's sword. The last time had been just two years before, when he appeared in Godric's Hollow for the twenty-five year anniversary of killing Lily and James Potter. Two hundred people had been murdered that night, from small muggle babies to old pure-blood wizards who disagreed with Voldemort. Ginny and Harry had been the ones to battle him. Harry had fallen in taking a stunning curse before it hit Ginny. When he woke in the hospital a week later, he realized his true feelings, feelings denied for years.  
  
"Of course we can, Harry. You've done it eight times now, including when you were one. Another won't be too hard!" she encouraged. But somehow, she wasn't sure it would be so easy this time. Both of them feared this more than ever.  
  
"But he is stronger now."  
  
"So are we."  
  
"And no matter what happens, I want you to remember something, Ginny." Harry couldn't believe these words were coming out of his mouth.  
  
"Hmm?" Ginny replied, still clinging to him. She felt him kiss the top of her head and then pull away. They stared at each other for a moment before slowly pulling together. Their lips touched and they kissed.  
  
"Remember that I love you," Harry told her as soon as they parted. Ginny pulled him into a hug again. She listened to his heart for a moment before replying.  
  
"I love you too, Harry."  
  
With that, they separated and Apparated to the ancient mansion in Wales.  
  
They arrived with a loud crack and immediately pulled out their wands. It was raining, the perfect weather for such an occasion. They ran up to the large doors. The knockers were in the shape of serpents and moved when someone approached. After breaking the complicated spell that protected the place, they entered. It was cold and dark inside.  
  
"Where did you see them?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Erm...a basement, I think," Harry answered. She nodded and they headed to find a basement. They tiptoed through the ground floor before finally finding a door that led down. As they went deeper into the earth, they heard a faint voice.  
  
"My Lord, all is protected. No one has noticed Dumbledore's disappearance yet, we believe," said the voice. Harry and Ginny stopped short. They recognized that voice!  
  
"Michael Corner?" Ginny hissed. Harry nodded, dumbfounded. Her face was shocked. They regained composure and continued deeper still. The stairs wound down and ended in the entrance to a cave. Gripping their wands tighter than ever, they walked forward. The voices were so close now.  
  
"What about the half-breed, Hagrid? Has he noticed?" demanded a raspy voice.  
  
"No, My Lord, when we checked, he was asleep with the smell of Fire Whiskey coming from him," replied the deep voice.  
  
"I assure you, Hagrid should be no worry. He has been quite unwell recently," Dumbledore said, very convincingly. His wise voice did not even stumble.  
  
"Shut up, you old man!" ordered the raspy voice. Ginny and Harry were almost there. They could see the torch in the chamber. Flipping his wand around, he managed to grab Dumbledore's glance. Dumbledore's face did look scared but calm. They all waited in silence for a moment, while Voldemort went on. "Oh, that little half-blood has it coming to him! Does that little brainless dim wit actually think he can defeat me?" A booming laugh came from the chamber. "I am Lord Voldemort! No one can defeat me!" His crackled voice rang out with laughter. Dumbledore's head jerked a nod and Ginny and Harry raced in, causing the eyes behind the cloak of the smaller man to grow wide.  
  
"My Lord! Intruders!" he yelled. "Stupefy!"  
  
Ginny dodged the curse by inches. "Expelliarmus!" Ginny retorted, somewhat childishly. Nonetheless, the wand flew out of the Death Eater, Michael Corner's, hand and into Ginny's she pocketed it quickly before yelling, "Contendo Flamen!" It was the Blasting Curse. Michael Corner flew into a wall and passed out.  
  
All the while, Harry had been trying to fight Voldemort. He had succeeded in the Blasting Curse as well but on the powerful creature before him, it wasn't nearly as strong. Voldemort had tried the Impedimenta Curse but it had hit the wall and backfired, nearly hitting Voldemort. This had given Harry enough time to flee from Voldemort's line of fire and shoot a few more curses.  
  
Ginny released Dumbledore and he called for his wand, apparently able to do at least a little wandless magic. It came from Voldemort's heavy robes. Harry had just been stunned by a re-awakened Michael Corner and now, Voldemort was preparing to use the Avada Kedavra curse.  
  
"Ennervate!" shouted Dumbledore, reawakening Harry. He tried to run to protect Ginny himself but his old age and long robes slowed him. Harry forced himself up just as the words spilled from Voldemort's mouth. He ran and shoved Ginny out of the way. The curse narrowly missed them both but hit Michael Corner in the heart with a bolt of green light, killing him instantly. Voldemort's grey, cold face looked confused.  
  
"Ginny, run at him and touch him!" Harry hissed.  
  
"What? Are you crazy?" she asked. Voldemort was coming back into reality.  
  
"Stupefy!" he yelled at Dumbledore. Dumbledore collapsed as Ginny gasped.  
  
"Stupefy!" Harry shouted. This did not knock the cloaked beast unconscious but he did fall to the ground with a loud thud and put him in a state of confusion.  
  
"Just do it! It's love! He can't stand it!" Harry told her.  
  
"Your mother died for you, though! You should be doing this!"  
  
"It doesn't work like that anymore, fourth year killed that chance for me but not you now hurry before he gets back up!"  
  
Ginny rose and ran toward the soulless creature that wanted them all dead so badly. She looked at Harry for reassurance as he rose. She placed her hand on Voldemort's cold arm and he screamed out in pain. She smiled and put the other on his neck. His scream echoed through the entire mansion above. Harry ran, hoping that even if he alone could not kill Voldemort with love, maybe he could help Ginny. He put his hand on the man's eyes while taking Ginny's wrist gently and placing it over his chest.  
  
Slowly, Voldemort burned beneath them, screaming all the while. He tried to yell curses but missed every time. He was slowly shrinking as he shouted, "Crucio!" pointing his wand straight up. The bolt of black spilled from his wand and hit the ceiling, only returning to its caster. As the black bolt hit Voldemort's chest, he wriggled and screamed, knowing he was no longer going to live; he had just killed himself.  
  
It took another moment for him to finally burn to nothing but a pair of black robes. No one spoke but both Ginny and Harry were breathing hard, trying to take in what they had just done. Ginny finally moved, the first to do so, and cast the counter spell of the stunning curse that had hit Dumbledore. Harry went to his side with Ginny and they helped him up.  
  
"Harry, Ginny, is he really gone?" he asked, bewildered. They both nodded as they started to head through the passage from the cave to the stairs leading up to the mansion. "You did it! Congratulations!" he beamed. Ginny and Harry muttered their thanks. They couldn't believe Voldemort was dead and literally at their hands. Of course, defeat against Voldemort was what they had always wanted but that way was unthinkable.  
  
The rest of the walk to the ground level was silent. They let Dumbledore Apparate himself back to Hogsmeade, after making him promise he would see Madam Pomphrey. He seemed to be a little weak but perfectly fine otherwise.  
  
It was Ginny that Harry was worried about. All the colour had drained from her face. He found a shattered piece of glace and made it a portkey to take her home. She clung to Harry's arm with every ounce of strength she had. By the time they were in her flat, she couldn't even stand. Harry understood. He had collapsed after doing that the first time in his first year. He carried her into her bedroom and slipped her under the covers after removing her cloak and shoes. She tried to force her eyes to remain open. Harry sat next to her and took her hand.  
  
"It's all right, go to sleep. It's all over now," he reassured, forcing a smile.  
  
"What about Michael?" she asked. Perhaps she clung to hope that he had not been killed but merely knocked unconscious.  
  
"I'm sorry Ginny. But he was a Death Eater. Don't worry about it now; just go to sleep," he replied in a comforting voice. She reached out her hand and took his, pulling it to her lips and kissing it before turning onto her side and falling asleep.  
  
Harry stayed with her for half an hour. Finally, he left to think. He had killed Voldemort but found no joy. He had killed someone! Even if that man had killed so many that he loved, he had killed him with his bare hands and with Ginny watching. By making sure Ginny was not killed by the killing curse, another was dead. He doubted Michael Corner had gone to Voldemort on his own accord. Harry felt he was guilty for the death of someone perhaps innocent. He felt responsible for everything, even Dumbledore. If he hadn't been so concerned with a date, he would have kept better guard and maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe a possibly innocent person would still be alive!  
  
As he thought about all this, the sun began to rise. The blood red over the eastern horizon reminded him of the deaths he had just caused. Everything reminded him of that now. And Ginny. He was a murderer, even if he would never be charged. He couldn't let Ginny be with someone like that.  
  
He went to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill.  
  
_Dear Ginny,  
  
I know you will be the one to find this so I am writing to you. I want you to know that what I said tonight was true and I meant it with all of me. But I cannot stay here. It's my fault Michael Corner, who may have been another of Voldemort's victims under the Imperius Curse, is dead.  
  
You deserve someone so much better than me. You deserve someone normal and loving, not me.  
  
I only ask one thing of you: to go and live your life to the absolute fullest. Do whatever you want to do, whatever you have ever wanted to do. Forget about me and all of this. Just live.  
  
Love, Harry  
_  
He inserted the letter inside an envelope and sealed it. Quickly, he threw his most precious belongings into his old trunk, making it expand a little. He cast a weightless charm on it and Apparated with it to the front of Gringotts. After casting another charm to make the trunk float behind him, he went inside and took out all his money from his vault. He converted it to pounds and walked out of Diagon Alley. He carried is trunk, which was still weightless, the two blocks to the nearest airport. He booked the next flight to America, which landed in Newark, New Jersey. Two hours later, he was on board the aeroplane and it was taking off.  
  
He was flying away from it all. 


	2. Old Tappan, New Jersey

Chapter Two  
  
Old Tappan, New Jersey  
  
He rented a car and got a map. He decided on a town called Old Tappan, not really thinking about living but just surviving until he could sort himself out. He was thankful he had learned how to drive and drove for a while before reaching a Bed & Breakfast in the small town called Old Tappan. He slept for nearly twenty-four hours before rising and dressing in a Muggle fashion. He looked through the local newspaper and found several jobs openings in the area. He called the places and arranged for appointments. He dug out his Muggle-Excuse forms he had obtained after graduating Hogwarts. They gave him a college education in law enforcement and other needed excuses.  
  
He cruised the town for flats and found, instead, a small house up for rent for a relatively low cost. He had exchanged his pounds for dollars at a bank earlier in the week. And, after living there only three weeks, he had a small, three bedroom house and a job as the manager of a security personnel company making fairly good money. He wasn't exactly happy but this new transition would be hard.  
  
He ventured into New York City often and found shops and places of all sorts. He visited all the famous Muggle sites on the weekends and loved to eat dinner in Little Italy. Slowly, time passed.  
  
Ginny had read the letter and had cried for hours. She understood why he needed to leave; she just didn't want him to go. She explained this to her family and Hermione. They were as devastated as she. She kept from them the information that they had been on a date when the phoenix arrived. Ron wondered why he hadn't called upon him during all this but Ginny's explanation was simple: he was not an Auror. He was the second-head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.  
  
She continued with her life the best she could but she could not say she was happy. For months, it seemed, life was an endless hole; she was not living, just existing. But slowly, time brought her spirits back to life and she was able to live again, just a little at first and more, slowly.  
  
A year passed for them both. It had been the longest year either had endured but they had survived apart. Harry's spirits were rising again, too. He had friends, though none of them British or wizards. He became accustomed to the Muggle, American way of life. It was strange but it did have its benefits. New York was lovely; the beach was great fun with his friends; driving around did have the benefit of seeing things. He still missed them all with every bit of soul in him but he couldn't go back. It didn't seem right. He didn't believe that he belonged there anymore. He had done what the prophecy said; now it was his turn to make a decision. True, his decision had been made depending on Ginny but he had made it without help from a Seer or a crystal orb or the greatest evil ever on earth.  
  
It was November again when a young woman, perhaps twenty-four, came into his office looking for a job. She did not have a college degree but had earned a GED for high school. She seemed bright and very professional. Harry saw no reason not to hire her as the new secretary for the department. The job paid somewhat well but was not an outstanding number, only about 30,000 a year. He soon met her daughter when she came in to pick up some files late on a Friday. The little girl was quite pretty. She was six and in the first grade. Her eyes were a very deep blue and her hair was nearly golden. Her skin was dotted with freckles and her smile never faded.  
  
Surprisingly, on this day, Lisa, the secretary, was called in by the boss for a few moments regarding the paperwork of a certain file. Harry was asked to entertain this little girl in the meantime. Adrienne was a talkative child and very bright. She was amused by Harry's British accent just as much as he was amused with her East Coast American one. He showed her how to play a card game while Lisa was talking to the boss. Finally, she came out looking relieved.  
  
"Hey, sweetie! You ready for pizza?" she asked, swinging the little girl up into her arms.  
  
"Yep! Can Harry come with us?" she asked. Harry was just as taken back with the request as Lisa.  
  
"Would you like to come, Harry?" asked Lisa. Harry agreed and grabbed his coat.  
  
Dinner was pleasant. Adrienne was delightful and very polite. Harry helped her play a game of pinball. There was something about this little girl that captivated him. After she had eaten her pizza, she fell asleep with her head resting in her mother's lap.  
  
"She's a cute little kid, Lisa," Harry complimented.  
  
"Yep, she's my Adri. I think she's a bit too smart for her own good though," Lisa laughed.  
  
"No such thing as being too smart!" he returned. She nodded in agreement.  
  
"She wants to be a teacher when she grows up, along with a writer and a violin player." He was surprised with Adrienne's big dreams. Someday, he knew, she would get there.  
  
Not long after that, Lisa and Harry began to date. He was still aching for Ginny and they both knew they would never marry but had fun. Adrienne usually went with them. Harry became very attached to this small child. But what surprised him the most happened the following May, at a fair. Adrienne had gotten an ice cream cone and was eating it eagerly. Suddenly, it began to fall. Lisa wasn't looking but Harry was. Just as suddenly as it had begun to fall, it was back in Adrienne's small hand. She looked confused but did not say anything.  
  
Is she a witch? Harry wondered.  
  
"Ginny, may I come over? I need to speak with you immediately," said Dumbledore from the fireplace of Ginny's flat in Diagon Alley.  
  
"Of course, come in," she replied, setting down her book. The old man entered and took a seat in the armchair. "What did you need?"  
  
"Well, this may come as a surprise to you but the Malfoy's were found dead mere hours ago. Well, Lucius, Narcissa, Draco and Pansy were all found dead," he explained. Ginny was confused. That was four, wasn't that all of them.  
  
"Well, that's all of them. Why should there be a problem?" Ginny asked. Everyone had known for years that these four were Death Eaters, and they were the Death Eaters that wanted revenge for what happened to their Lord.  
  
"Draco and Pansy's one-year-old son is now an orphan," he finished. Ginny's heart opened to the little boy. "He's at Hogwarts right now and I can think of very few people I would trust to raise him without prejudice..." he continued but Ginny didn't even hear.  
  
"Albus," she started. Since her graduation, he had demanded she call him by his first name. "Are you asking me to adopt him?"  
  
"Yes, Ginny, I am." Ginny smiled at the thought. She would have to move to a bigger place but she could afford it and the child was only one; he hadn't been poisoned by his parents yet. He was only a little helpless boy, like Harry had been once.  
  
"Then, yes! I would be more than happy to...adopt him," she replied. Dumbledore's face lit up.  
  
"Wonderful! His name is Sean Thomas Malfoy but we'll have his last name changed to yours. Would you like to come visit him at Hogwarts? I know your not quite ready to have a baby boy in your flat yet."  
  
"Absolutely, let me just grab my cloak." She rose and slipped on her cloak. It had been the one she wore the night of Voldemort's defeat.  
  
They took Floo Powder to Dumbledore's office. There, sitting in a conjured bassinet by Professor McGonagall, sat a little baby boy with blonde hair and deep blue eyes.  
  
It was the night of Adrienne's seventh birthday. She was having the party the next day. Harry had stayed for a special dinner and she begged Harry to tuck her in. He agreed without a fight and went in to tuck her in.  
  
"What do they call daddies in England?" she asked.  
  
"Daddy."  
  
"What about mommies?"  
  
"Oh, they're called mummy," Harry explained.  
  
"Can I call you Daddy, Harry? 'Cause I don't have a Daddy and I think you should be my Daddy!" she exclaimed. Harry smiled, feeling honoured.  
  
"I think that would be a good idea, kiddo," Harry replied.  
  
"Yay!" she smiled. "I got a daddy for my birthday!"  
  
"Well, you'll get lots more tomorrow if you go to sleep!" Harry told her joyfully.  
  
"Okay," she replied, turning on her side. Harry kissed the top of her head. "Good night, Daddy."  
  
"Good night, Adri."  
  
Adrienne's birthday passed and after three months, she entered second grade with the reading level of a fifth grader. Ginny quickly adjusted to being a mother and fell in love with Sean within a matter of seconds. She moved them into a house in a wizarding town called Alton, just an hour away from Ottery St. Catchpole. Her family loved the new addition as well. He loved them, too. He always giggled and soon started calling Ginny 'Mummy.' It was his first word.  
  
November came and went with the second year anniversary since Voldemort's defeat and Harry's leave. Adrienne was getting excellent grades. Lisa and Harry weren't really dating anymore but still remained the best of friends.  
  
Lisa had become a mother at barely eighteen. Adrienne's father had left the moment he discovered Lisa was pregnant. She struggled in New York City for a while before renting a flat in Old Tappan from a friend for a low price. She and Adrienne had always had what they needed but rarely much more. Harry couldn't help but spoil Adrienne whenever he got the chance. For Christmas that year, Harry and Adrienne decided it was time for Adrienne to start her dream of becoming a violinist. Together, they got her a violin and lessons. She fell in love with a single bow stroke.  
  
Sean had turned two and was very talkative. He loved to be outside and adored all his cousins. He and Ron were both obsessed with Quidditch, and even at his young age he liked to ride on the play broomsticks. He didn't even remember the Malfoys anymore; it wasn't his life anymore.  
  
Ginny was happy being with him too. Now, she didn't have so much free time to wonder about Harry. Sean gave her more pleasure than she had imagined. Sometimes, at night, she would watch him sleep and smile. He was so sweet and peaceful. 


	3. Shocking Surprises

_A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying my story. Sorry I haven't updated here in a while! Please Review! I really love reviews - it's like food, absolutely necessary! This chapter is where the story really starts to get going so I hope you enjoy and sorry about the ending for those of you who haven't read it in other places!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, or Ginny Weasley. Those belong to J.K. Rowling. I do own Adrienne and Sean but make no profit. I am just mixing them with the wonderful work of J.K. Rowling to have a bit of fun!_

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** Chapter Three  
  
Shocking Surprises**

**  
  
**June had come again, bringing Adrienne's eighth birthday with it. She passed the second grade with the highest grades in her year and was reading at nearly a sixth grade level. In that way, she reminded Harry of both Hermione and Ginny. She loved to play football (though she, as an American, called it soccer), reminding him of Ron and Quidditch. But July did not bring such pleasures.  
  
One night, the phone rang in Harry's office. He picked it up. Since Lisa had left a little early that day, he was in charge of the phones.  
  
"Hello, Vert's Security," he answered.  
  
"Daddy?" cried a little voice.  
  
"Adri, what's wrong?" he asked immediately, alarmed by the sound of her voice.  
  
"It's Mommy! Jamie says to tell you that it's really bad and you have to come here immediately!" she cried into the phone. Harry agreed and dropped everything. He raced through the streets of the town to Lisa's flat. Outside were two police cars and an ambulance. Everyone was just standing around. A car he recognized to be Lisa's was completely smashed along with a second car, facing the head of Lisa's. He bolted out of his car and straight to the nearest police officer.  
  
"What's going on?" he demanded. He then saw the black bag over the figure of a person in the street. He could only hope it wasn't Lisa.  
  
"Are you...um...Harry Potter?" asked the police officer.  
  
"Yes, is Lisa all right?" he asked concerned.  
  
"Sir, I'm very sorry to report that this was a head-on collision and neither of the drivers made it." Harry choked back tears. "I believe your daughter is upstairs with her babysitter and is asking for you. I'm very sorry, sir."  
  
Harry didn't bother to thank him but ran to the building. Originally, it had been a house but had been broken up into two apartments. Lisa and Adrienne had the top floor. He took the steps two at a time and walked in to see Adrienne crying Jamie was trying to comfort her but when she saw Harry, she ran into his arms.  
  
"Daddy, what's going on? Where's Mommy?" she asked. Tears began to slip down Harry's cheeks. How could he tell her that her mother was lying dead in the street?  
  
"Sweetie, I need you to listen to me very carefully," he began, choking back tears. Jamie patted him on the back and walked out. She was the teenager who lived with her mother downstairs. Adrienne nodded and wiped away her tears. "Mummy...she got in an accident, honey. She went up to heaven but she's still with you in your heart. Oh, honey, do you understand?"  
  
"So, Mommy isn't coming back to me?" she asked. Harry shook his head, unable to speak. Adrienne burst out sobbing again. "But I don't want her to leave!"  
  
"I know, sweetie, I know, but she isn't completely gone. She'll still be with us in our hearts."

A few days later, the funeral was held for Lisa. Adrienne wore a black dress and coat. Tears streamed down her cheeks through the procession. She was only eight years old; why should she have to loose her mother? At the funeral, it had been a week since that fateful Friday. Harry had stayed with Adrienne at the flat and taken time off work to go through her things. She didn't have any family. It seemed Adrienne had no one now. But then Harry saw Lisa's will. The only thing that wasn't worthy of the bin was Adrienne, and Lisa wanted her to be with Harry. Harry was infinitely happy with this; he didn't know what he would have done if Adrienne had to be shipped to some foster home.  
  
He went into her room where she was staring out the window and into the rain. Harry pulled up a chair and sat next to her. "Hey Adri," he began.  
  
"Hi Daddy," she replied solemnly.  
  
"I found this just now. It's your mum's will. She said that she wanted you to come live with me but you don't have to if you don't want to..." he was cut off.  
  
"I want to be with you!" she exclaimed, throwing her small arms around him.  
  
So, they moved her things into his second bedroom. He made sure there were pictures of her mother around so she wouldn't ever forget. She had one that had been taken only weeks ago in New York City. As a birthday present, Lisa and Harry had taken Adrienne to see a Broadway Play. She had wanted to see one for years but it was incredibly expensive so it took a while. She loved it. They got a picture of her with her mother and the backdrop was the Winter Garden Theatre. They both looked so alive. Extensive make-up had to be used to make Lisa look even presentable at the wake. Adrienne was still depressed about it and looked like a forever depressed little girl.  
  
Soon, Adrienne had adjusted to living with Harry, though she still missed her mother terribly. She entered third grade, which helped to lift her spirits. Over the course of the school year, it slowly got easier, though Christmas was hard without Lisa. Somehow, she managed to keep her grades incredibly high through her trauma. By the end of third grade, her reading level was that of the late seventh grade year and Harry was positive she was a witch.  
  
It was just little things that had clued him in on it. If something fell, somehow it would stop falling just long enough for her to catch it. If she desperately wanted something, occasionally it would just appear. Those were the simple things Harry had gone through in his childhood. He knew that soon, she would need to know.  
  
To get her to sleep at night, Harry would tell her stories of his life. She loved to hear about Ginny, perhaps because of the way Harry spoke of her. Sometimes, he would tell her about a world of magic, one she believed was make-believe but it was all real. He told her about Hogwarts and Quidditch and travelling through fireplaces. It excited her, a good sign.

Sean had turned three and then four and was growing quickly. He had become a part of the Weasley family easily. He loved to draw. Ginny had given him what she had not received in her childhood – a few Muggle pleasures she had always enjoyed. She gave him the videos, and a computer. They had a telephone and a telly.  
  
Sean learned to swim during the summer of his third year with some of the other Weasley grandchildren. He found it quite amusing to splash everyone. Ginny couldn't help but smile when he drenched the twins, Fred and George. They quickly jumped in the pool with their clothes, and even their trainers, still on and chased the little boy around the shallow end of the swimming pool. He giggled and ran around wildly, still splashing.

It had been over a year since Lisa's death. Adrienne was nine. It was late summer and she had spent the night with a friend the night before. She still slept with a precious bear her mother had given her but during that overnight, she had left it at her friend's accidentally. She didn't realize this until she crawled into bed but when she did, she started crying. Harry calmed her but she was still upset when suddenly, the bear we in her arms. She looked at it amazed and then at Harry.  
  
"Daddy, what just happened?" she asked.  
  
"Erm..." Harry began. Now was the time but how. "Well...Adri...you just did a little magic."  
  
"Dad, that's ridiculous! Magic isn't real!" she told him.  
  
"But it is and I'll prove it." Harry stood and went into his room. He got his wand from the nightstand drawer. He hadn't held it in so long. It felt good to hold it again. He walked back into his daughter's room and showed it to her.  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"It's my wand. I got it when I was eleven," he said seriously.  
  
"You still played with wands when you were eleven?" she questioned. Harry laughed at the thought. Oh, how he wished trying to vanquish Voldemort was just a game.  
  
"No. I actually used it and I did that all the way until the year before I met you. That's when I ran away."  
  
"Prove that it can do real magic," Adrienne insisted, sitting up in bed. Harry held it carefully and pointed to the clock across Adrienne's bed.  
  
"_Accio clock_," he ordered. The clock flew to him and Adrienne's eyes got wide. "See, it is real."  
  
It was the first time Harry had used magic in over four years. And he was using it to explain that the little girl he had grown to love as his own was a witch. What were the odds in this? How could that even happen?  
  
But it had.  
  
"So...is Hogwarts real?" she asked. He nodded. "Did you go to Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yep, I went there from age eleven to eighteen along with Ron and Hermione and Ginny and all the rest of the Weasley clan. They're all wizards and witches in England. Best of the lot, as well," he explained, a bit of a dazed expression forming on his face.  
  
"Then why did you leave?"  
  
"Oh, it's a long story."  
  
"Please tell me, Daddy, its Saturday! We don't have to get up in the morning!" she begged.  
  
"Well, Ginny and I were on our first and only date when my old Headmaster's phoenix came flying in." The look on her face demanded to know what a phoenix was. "It's an amazingly gorgeous bird. In the wizarding world, we communicate with owls instead of the post...er – mail. Well, in one of my old teacher's handwriting, a note said that Albus, my old Headmaster, had been kidnapped. Both of us knew who had taken him. So, eventually, we ended up at this old mansion in Wales and we had to save my old Headmaster but in the process we...erm...vanquished this Dark Wizard – finally. But, Ginny had been there when it happened and we both almost ended up dead. So, I decided I could not put her in that danger and I left the next morning, never to return. That was just over a year before I met you." He left out many details that were far too graphic for this little girl.  
  
"Did that mean you loved Ginny?" she asked, almost begging he would say yes. "Like, not just as a friend?"  
  
"Well, it started out as loving her as a friend but as we started to work together more, it did grow to be more than that, so yes, I did love Ginny," he explained. He hoped she would understand. He knew that for some reason, she loved the idea of him and Ginny being together but what about her mother? Had she really understood that they were only friends for the better part of the time they knew each other?  
  
"Did you love Mom like a friend?" she inquired.  
  
"I love your mum as a very, very good friend."  
  
"Do you still love Ginny?"  
  
He thought about this for a moment. Of course he still loved Ginny! He would never stop! But should he tell Adrienne that?  
  
"I haven't seen or talked to Ginny in over four years. I don't know," he replied. "But I do know that you should be getting to sleep!"  
  
He left her room a few moments later. He sat on the couch with a coke, his favourite soft drink, and thought about everything. Originally, he had believed that it would get easier as time passed but it was precisely the reverse. It only got harder, especially now that Adrienne knew she was a witch, as did he. With the latest event, he was sure she would be leaving for school in a matter of two years but he wasn't sure if he wanted her to attend Hogwarts or some American school.  
  
It had been nearly half a year since Harry explained to Adrienne that she was a witch. Harry had taken the afternoon off as he had not done so in a very long time. It was just after two; Adrienne would be home in an hour. He was sitting at the dining room table, going through papers for countless bills and the like. Suddenly, he heard a loud tap at the back door. He stood and went to investigate this noise only to see a very familiar owl. The owl that belonged to a certain Hermione Granger. He opened the door and the bird flew in, perching itself on a chair. He held out his leg and Harry removed the letter. He saw the neat penmanship of Hermione on the envelope addressed to him. He opened it and removed the two pieces of parchment.  
  
_Dear Harry,  
  
Well obviously this has found you – finally! I told Versace not to come back until he found you and had a lengthy letter in return from you.  
  
Potter, you have been gone for FOUR AND A HALF YEARS! Don't you think that's a bit long? You just disappeared after defeating the most evil...bastard on the face of the earth. That was your greatest accomplishment ever! And it was Ginny's too! That should have been one of the best days of her life but no, Potter ruins it! I know you put something in that letter to her, which she let none of us read, and somehow you explained it to her or something because she's not nearly as furious as I am!  
  
When are you coming home? And if you say 'never', dammit, I'll find you myself and drag you home, even if I have to get on one of those damned aeroplanes! This has gone on for far too long! A few weeks or even months I might have been able to understand but four YEARS? That's just absurd!  
  
All right, I'm done ranting and raving now. I'll tell you a little about everyone here – except Ginny. I'm not dumb you know; I know you two had something when you left so maybe she'll be the one to bring you back!  
  
Ron's married now, to Lavender Brown. She's actually quite delightful now that she's not obsessed with Seeing things. She's due to have a baby in May, just a few weeks away! Ron's terrified of parenthood. I think they'll actually be rather good at it. What with all the nieces and nephews they get to practice with!  
  
I'm doing well. Viktor and I have been married since about nine months after you left. He's retired from Quidditch now and he and Ron work together in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. I wouldn't be surprised if they're arguing to be head of the department sometime soon!  
  
Now, there are somewhere close to twenty Weasley children. I loose count...I know Charlie and Percy both have four and I think Bill has three. Fred has three and George has two...Ron has one as of next month...yes, well, something like that.  
  
The whole country misses you, you know. Well, except the Malfoys but they can't miss you anymore, since they were all killed about three years ago. I won't go into more of that! You'll just have to see for yourself WHEN you come home!  
  
So, how are you? Are you doing all right? Where are you? I don't even know the country! It's not England, that's for sure. Are you married or anything? I find it unlikely. If you felt the same about Ginny that she felt about you, then I'm not sure you'd even date someone! But, I won't say anymore than that, on this subject! Do you have kids? You're not in our world so what are you doing to make a living? Oh, Potter, just write back or I swear, the next time you hear from me, it won't be nearly as pleasant!  
  
You'd better write back soon!  
  
Love, Hermione  
_  
He nearly laughed at it. He could hear her shouting at him. He read it over a few more times before going into the small attic of the small house to find his trunk. He lugged it downstairs and pulled out some parchment and a quill just as Adrienne walked in the door.  
  
"Dad, why is there an owl in the dining room?" she asked.  
  
"I told you wizards and witches use owls to send letters, right?"  
  
"Yeah..." she was confused for a moment, and then grasped the idea. "Who sent you a letter? Was it Ginny?" she demanded, throwing down her things and grabbing the letter. She read it and laughed at certain things, especially some of the language. "So, are you going to write back?"  
  
"I think so, yeah. Mostly because I think I'm a bit scared of what would happen if I don't." She laughed again.  
  
"What's all this?" she asked, referring to the trunk, parchment and quills.  
  
"Those are all my old robes and cloaks and books and everything else. You can look at it if you like. There's a photo album somewhere in there with moving pictures." She dug into the trunk and found the photo album. She was able to figure out who everyone was according to Harry's descriptions. Harry wrote back.  
  
_Dear Hermione,  
  
Hello to you as well. Glad to hear you doing all right. I suppose I shouldn't start like this; it's my own fault anyway. You have perfectly good reason to be shouting at me. I'm surprised you didn't send a howler – and please don't. I think that might disturb the Muggles around here!  
  
It was so long ago; I don't even recall the true reasons I left anymore. I just felt horrible for everything that had happened, making Ginny see all that. Both Albus and Ginny almost ended up dead – again, thanks to me. I just wanted to protect all of you and...oh, I don't know! But, it was a long time ago and I know you're still angry with me and you have the right to be but let's just be friends again, all right?  
  
I'm thrilled to hear you and Ron are married but furious you won't say a word about Ginny. I know I should send her a letter myself but I can't get up the nerve! After how I left her, I've got no right at all! Tell me this – is she happy? I hope she is; she deserves to be more than anything! After what she went through, because of me, she deserves to be the happiest of us all.  
  
Ron? A father? Now I know I've been out of our world too long! I can't just picture him pacing constantly. But he'll be a good Dad, I know it. It just might take him a while. And whether their child is a girl or a boy, we all know he or she will be a Quidditch star with his obsession!  
  
I can't believe I missed your wedding! I am SO sorry, Hermione! But, a belated congratulations from me! Just wondering, not to be offensive, but can he say your name right yet? If he can't, I think I might miss it...how did he say it again? Her-mio-ninny?  
  
I'm doing quite well. I moved to New Jersey, Old Tappan. It's quite close to New York City and I must say, that city is amazing. It's very green here, and incredibly humid in the summer but I admit I'm used to it after living in London all those years. I live in a three bedroom house with my daughter, Adrienne.  
  
Yes, Hermione, I have a daughter. Her mother died almost two years ago. Her mother and I were great friends and when she passed, Adrienne came to live with me. She's nearly ten – jeez, that time flew by quickly! And as I've figured out, she is, in fact, a witch! She's thrilled with the idea of magic and wands. She's looking at the old photo album now, the one of our Hogwarts days. Her eyes are as big as walnuts! Other than the 'movies', I don't think she's ever seen moving pictures before.  
  
I've been thinking about coming home more and more lately. It has been an eternity since I saw all of you, it seems. Four and a half years, really? Has it been only that long? At first, I believed it would grow easier but it doesn't. Knowing Adrienne is a witch just makes me miss England more and more. She loves to hear about all of you. You'll be thrilled to know that she is in the fourth grade and reads at a ninth grade level – and also reads constantly. In that way, she reminds me of you. She's got Ginny's outgoing attitude and love of music – she plays the violin. She'd love to learn to play Quidditch after learning how much it is like football, or as they call it here, soccer.  
  
Please don't tell anyone about this. I'm not quite ready for the whole country to know where I am – not yet. I promise that someday, I'll be back. I can't stand being away much longer.  
  
Please write back soon, Harry  
_  
He let Adrienne read it before putting it in an envelope and letting the owl fly away.  
  
From that moment on, they kept in touch with countless letters. As he learned from Hermione, Ron named his daughter Elizabeth. For Adrienne's birthday, they planned a great surprise. Harry hooked up his fireplace to the Floo Network so Hermione could come for the weekend of June the sixteenth. So, when Adrienne sat down to watch the telly in the lounge, she was startled by a commotion from the fire place.  
  
"You're Hermione!" she screamed, running to hug her father's friend. Harry came in, smiling happily. He and Hermione hugged before he grabbed her things and brought them into the lounge. Adrienne was thrilled to finally be meeting this person and Harry was thrilled to see someone from his old life.  
  
As soon as Adrienne had given her the grand tour, she said something to Harry. "First thing I have to say is not a word is coming out of this mouth about Ginny, Potter, got it? I know that's the only reason you're going to come home so, if you want to know, come home!" Harry burst out laughing. "What is so bloody funny?" she was so involved in her lecture to Harry; she didn't bother to forget the British word.  
  
"You!" Harry laughed. "You sound so...British!"  
  
"I am British, Harry!"  
  
"No, the accent!"  
  
"Harry, I do not have an accent! You're just so used to the New Jersey accent that you don't realize it," Hermione told him. Adrienne was trying to stifle her giggles.  
  
Hermione stayed for the weekend before returning. They were all sorry to see her go but Harry promised he would take Adrienne to England soon.

And the summer continued to pass for everyone. Sean turned five and began to prepare for primary school. He was thrilled but knew he couldn't say a word about magic to any of the Muggle students. Ginny was a little nervous: what if the secret slipped? But, that was what Obliviators were for. Before he started school, she promised to take him on a Muggle vacation to the coast of New Jersey.  
  
Before fifth grade began for Adrienne, she and Harry drove the two hours to the shore. They did this every year. Harry knew that this year would be the last of her Muggle school years. Next year, they would probably be in England getting school supplies at this time, whether she decided to go to Hogwarts or another American school.  
  
They had been on the beach for three days when they decided to venture the boardwalk. They were heading for the bumper cars; Adrienne was running ahead, when a little blonde boy of about six bolted past Harry giggling. Harry noticed that his blonde hair looked remarkably like Draco Malfoy's, and his eyes like Pansy Parkinson's. Next, a redheaded woman flew past him. He did a double take. "Sean Thomas Weasley! Come back here!" said the woman in an obvious British accent. Harry's jaw dropped. He watched as this redheaded woman swung the little boy up into her arms.  
  
"Mummy! Put me down!" replied the little boy, also British. The woman was looking at her son and not where she was going. Harry was paralyzed and barely noticed that she was coming straight at him. She nearly ran into him before she looked up and stopped short.


	4. Lives Colliding Again

**Chapter Four  
****  
Lives Colliding Again  
  
**"Oh, sorry –" Her sentence ended as she set the little boy down. Her large brown eyes grew larger still and her mouth dropped open. At the same moment, they both hugged. "I-I can't believe this! Harry...what are you doing here?" she asked as Adrienne came over to see what was going on.  
  
"I live in Old Tappan. And I highly doubt the answer is the same for you!" he replied.  
  
"I brought Sean here for a vacation before he starts primary school." Harry's look read confusion. "Sean is my son, Harry." She finished, looking down at the little boy.  
  
"This is certainly strange...seeing you again..." Harry's sentence wandered.  
  
"Dad, who is this? Is this Ginny?" Adrienne asked excitedly.  
  
"Erm...yeah, Adri, this is Ginny," he replied, smiling at his long lost friend. "Ginny, this is my daughter, Adrienne." They stayed silent for a few moments. "Erm...Adrienne, do you want to take Ginny's son Sean on that ride over there?" Adrienne nodded. "Is that okay with you, Ginny?"  
  
"Absolutely; Sean, why don't you go and get on the bumper cars with Adrienne?" Sean and Adrienne ran off. "Harry...this is...wonderful! I-I haven't seen you in almost five years!" She hugged Harry again, nearly in tears. They walked to a table just in front of the ride where the two children were.  
  
"I know...Ginny, I'm so sorry for what I did. I...I know now that it wasn't right at all...I thought it would be for the better. I mean, Michael Corner dead and everything," Harry said. Ginny put her hand over his.  
  
"Harry, it's all right. It was a long time ago and...we were both confused then. If you would have stayed, it would have ended in catastrophe. But," she continued in a whisper. "You saved my life at the cost of a Death Eater. Don't feel guilty."  
  
Another moment of silence passed over them. Ginny removed her hand from Harry's and they both found the surface of the table to be suddenly interesting. Harry was biting his lip nervously. It was so shocking to be sitting at a table with Ginny again. So much had changed in the near five years since he had left England. They now both had adopted children. Was anything the same?  
  
"So...erm...how did Adrienne get in the picture? She doesn't exactly seem like she's four years old," Ginny finally said, breaking the tense silence.  
  
"Oh...well, Adrienne's mum started working with me about a year after I left and we became really good friends. Not even two years later, she died in a car accident on the way home from work. In her will, she said she wanted Adrienne to be with me. She's been with me for just over two years. What about Sean? No offence or anything but he looks a little like Draco Malfoy." In fact, Sean looked identical to Draco Malfoy, except for his eyes. He had his mother's eyes.  
  
"Malfoy's his biological father so of course he looks like him," she replied, looking over at the ride where the children were boarding a small roller-coaster car. Harry looked shocked. "The Malfoys were all killed about four years ago. Albus asked me to take him and I agreed. The one thing I've noticed is that the comparison between him and his parents ends with appearance. He's a lot like Ron and the twins, really."  
  
"I guess your flat is gone, huh?" Harry asked. He had actually liked the place quite a bit. It was very small but always reminded him of the Burrow, with a few Muggle inserts. The furniture was old but comfortable. It was light from the sunlight imitation in Diagon Alley. The floorboards squeaked when stepped on; and the roof was made of thatch. It always reminded Harry of an old fifteenth century fairytale.  
  
"Yeah, I have a house in Alton now, just an hour's drive from the Burrow. I always thought you'd like it. It's a bit like the old flat."  
  
Just then, the children leaped off the ride and ran toward the two. Sean jumped into his mother's lap while Adrienne placed herself next to Harry. "By the way, I'm Adrienne. Just to let you know, my Dad talks about you all the time." Harry's face quickly turned to a bright shade of pink. Ginny tried to stifle giggles. If he only knew how much she talked of him!  
  
"Well, between us, I talk about your dad quite a bit as well," Ginny replied in a whisper toward Adrienne, whose eyes grew wide with excitement.  
  
"Mummy, can they come with us to dinner?" asked Sean.  
  
"Would you guys like to grab a burger with us?" Ginny asked, a hint of pleading in her voice. Adrienne nodded and looked at Harry, who nodded as well.  
  
So, five minutes later, they sat in a burger shop just off the boardwalk. It looked like an American 1950's diner, which Ginny and Sean didn't quite understand. Harry still didn't grasp the whole idea but was familiar with the diners. The waitress finally came and asked to take their orders.  
  
"Can I have a burger and crisps?" asked Sean. The waitress looked at him strangely. Ginny looked at her strangely. Adrienne and Harry seemed to be the only one who understood everyone.  
  
"I think he means a burger and _chips_. And I think I'll have the same," Harry translated. Ginny and Adrienne had the same.  
  
"I take it the Americans call crisps something else?" Ginny asked. Harry nodded.  
  
"Those and a million other things. You get used to it," Harry told her.  
  
"Dad, you still call them crisps and whenever you want a cupcake, you call them fairy cakes. We're not the ones with strange names," said Adrienne. Ginny laughed a little. She could never imagine Harry converting to American English.  
  
After dinner, they all went for a walk on the beach. Compared to midday, it was rather deserted. They all went into the water – they had worn their bathing suits – and splashed each other. Adrienne and Sean seemed to get along well despite their five year age difference. They soon discovered they were staying in the same hotel but Harry and Adrienne were leaving the next morning for Old Tappan.  
  
"So, Dad, are you going to keep in touch with Ginny?" Adrienne inquired sweetly as soon as the other two were out of earshot, heading to their own room.  
  
"If she wants me too, I will!" Harry replied.  
  
"So, do you like her?"  
  
"Why are you so interested?" Harry asked, swinging her up and making her squeal. He carried her the rest of the way to their room over his shoulder with her pounding his back. Ginny met them in the reception room the next morning. They agreed on a café for breakfast before Harry and Adrienne had to leave. Breakfast was much the same as the night before, more laughter and talk of the past which the two children didn't understand. Finally, Ginny and Sean went with Harry and Adrienne back to their room to get their suitcases. Adrienne and Sean decided to race down the hall.  
  
"You know, you're here for another few days. You and I should go to lunch or something, just to catch up," said Harry nervously.  
  
"My thoughts precisely, Harry, but where will I leave Sean?" Ginny asked, hoping he had an answer.  
  
"I have a friend who can watch them both but that will mean you'll have to drive two hours...maybe that's not such a wonderful idea..." Harry internally slapped himself for not thinking ahead.  
  
"I think it's a perfectly good idea, Harry. We've got another few days before we have to leave and two hours isn't that horrible. We fly out of Newark anyway. If we came on our last day, it wouldn't be far out of the way at all."  
  
"So, why don't you come on Tuesday and then stay with us until your flight leaves on Wednesday?"  
  
It was settled. Ginny agreed, trying to hide her ecstasy. Harry left not long after giving Ginny directions. She promised she could find it.  
  
On Monday, Adrienne started the fifth grade. On Tuesday, Ginny and Sean left their bed and breakfast on the shore. Ginny wound through the green state of New Jersey until she finally saw a sign reading 'Old Tappan'. The town was small but cute. The schools looked old and pleasant, right out of the old American culture. School busses were lined up at their doors. She made a few turns before seeing a small little house addressed 1321 Apricot Avenue. She parked before it. _So this is where they live_, she thought to herself, stepping out of the car. She got Sean from the backseat and walked up the walk.  
  
The house was very cute from the outside. It was a one story brick house with a large window facing the front. The white doors greeted her warmly. She was walking back into Harry's life but did she want to? He had left her without even saying goodbye, not personally, just in a note. He had been gone for five years. She had every reason to be furious with this man but no, she wasn't and she didn't understand why.  
  
Inside, Harry was pacing. Hermione had been one thing but Ginny? He wanted more than anything for her to be back in his life but it seemed strange that she was okay without him. She had a son now, even if he wasn't naturally hers, and she led her own life. He did, too. Fear haunted him: fear of losing her again.  
  
The doorbell rang and he jumped up. After taking a deep breath, he opened the door to find the woman he had missed so, first for nearly five years and then again for just two days. She greeted him with a hug, as did Sean. He led them inside. They talked for a few minutes before Adrienne walked in the door. She hugged Ginny; in the short meeting they had had, they already liked each other. Harry wasn't surprised; he had always known they would get along.  
  
Harry's friend came around five, letting Harry and Ginny leave. He drove them to a small diner for dinner. They each ordered before silence fell over the table.  
  
"So, how much of our world does Adrienne know?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence once again.  
  
"She knows it all. Erm...she's actually a witch. Hopefully she'll be going to Hogwarts next year."  
  
"She's a witch?" Ginny asked, shocked. Harry nodded.  
  
"I've slowly figured it out. She's made things come to her and stopped objects from falling to the floor, things like that." Silence fell yet again.  
  
"Harry..." She was the first to speak. He listened intently for more. "I missed you so much. I didn't know whether to hate you or to love you or if I was angry or sad. I didn't know anything. Ask anyone in my family. I was depressed and...Harry I was just as confused as you after I saw your note. I was only sure about one thing. I would never give up on you."  
  
Harry was speechless. He felt guiltier than ever. "Gin...I'm sorry for what I did and I always will be. I was stupid to leave but I felt it was stupid to stay. All my life I had been fighting him and when he was gone, in some strange way, part of me went with him. Yes, it was a part of me that I had longed to be gone but it felt strange and stranger still were the feelings I had finally admitted I had for you. I wanted to protect you because of those feelings but I didn't know how. All I knew was running. So that's what I did and I've never regretted it more than now..." He was cut off.  
  
"Then why didn't you come back or write to us?" she demanded, as close to tears as he. He answered just as quickly.  
  
"Because I was scared that you would hate me!" he replied. "And I doubted I could stand that."  
  
They were both silent. Finally, Ginny sniffled back her depressing feelings and said, "This is supposed to be a good meeting, not a depressing one!" And for the rest of the evening, it was. They talked throughout dinner of the funny things that had happened through the years. They went back to Harry's house and slept. The next morning, after promising to keep in close touch through owls, Ginny left with Sean.  
  
They did keep in touch through owls. Ginny easily forgave Harry for leaving the near five years before and slowly, they started to repair the torn friendship. They often talked of Harry and Adrienne coming to visit and surprising everyone but Hermione. The rest still did not know. Adrienne often spoke of going back to England.  
  
Harry knew Adrienne wanted to leave but the real reason was unknown to him. He did not go to school with her everyday. Adrienne no longer had friends. This year, they all seemed to reject her as a geek. At lunch, she ate by herself and the bus ride was spent staring out the window and listening to meaningless gossip. She reminded herself that this was her last year at this school for the next year she would be in England, at Hogwarts – hopefully.

Mention of visiting for Christmas came to topic often in letters. Even if Ginny had just left, he wanted to be near her again. When he first left, he had blocked his emotions. He hadn't let them control him. It helped that they were not writing, too. But that was all different now. With every long letter, as they always were, he longed for her more. He missed her friendship, her bubbly laugh, her intelectual mind, and just...her. He missed everything about her. He always had. But now, it was tearing at him. When an owl arrived from her, he read it smiling, trying to hear her saying the words. She was a great mother - he always knew she would be, regardless that he knew she would also always work. She loved Sean to no end and always spoke of him and how he was doing in school.

In the past few years, he had barely ever had a dream, and if he did, it was completely useless. But now, he fell asleep thinking of Ginny, slept dreaming about her, and woke thinking about her. He had pulled out the old pictures: the ones of everyone, the ones of just Ginny, of Ginny and Harry. His favourite he kept next to his bed. It showed them just after the attack two years before he left - the one where Wormtail had finally perished - thankfully. He had his arm over her shoulder. She was laughing. Ron had taken that picture and Hermione was behind him, yelling at him because he didn't know how to work it. He could almost hear the laugh - bubbly and refreshing.

As the days grew shorter, he longed to see her more - if that was even possible. How had he even managed to go five whole years without seeing her, without hearing her laugh, without asking her advice, without being near her? Now, he couldn't even go a few months! They exchanged letters nearly every day - she always had something to say about her family. Fred and George were being annoying. Percy was being a large prat and she was about to kick his arse. Bill kept commenting on her cheery attitude. Mrs. Weasley had noticed and asked her peculiar questions. Mr. Weasley was still obsessed with everything Muggle and constantly drilled Sean on their school system ("What do you call your teacher?..._Mrs_? Not Professor?...Outstanding!") And, of course, Ron constantly asked her about being a parent. She was starting to find it rather funny. He was asking his 'baby sister' for help on being a father!

And Adrienne constantly asked how Ginny was, when they would see her, if Harry 'had a crush' on her ("What?" Harry would ask..."Oh, do I _fancy_ her?"). He would always find a way to not answer that question. She was counting down the days until September the first. She begged Harry to get her wand but she couldn't: not until she was eleven and accepted to Hogwarts or anther school.   
  
She greatly enjoyed writing to Ginny and Hermione; they became her friends quickly, despite the fact that they her father's friends. They always responded quickly, making her smile. September faded into October and October into November. Thoughts of going to England for Christmas were in the minds of all but it was Ginny who acknowledged it.  
  
_Dear Harry and Adrienne,  
  
How are you two? I hope everything is well! It is here. Sean loves school more and more each day. He asks about you two a lot and begs me to invite you, though I am doing the begging by myself. I would absolutely love it if both of you came here for Christmas! I miss you so much! Both of you! Mum's practically in tears that you've been away for five years now, Harry, and it would mean the world to her if you came home! It would mean that to all of us! You could go see Dumbledore about getting Adrienne into Hogwarts, Harry!  
  
You'd be staying with me except for on Christmas Eve: everyone stays at the Burrow then. Oh, please say yes. And if you don't, I'll get on one of those bloody aeroplanes again and get you myself, even if you're connected to the Floo Network!  
  
Love, Ginny  
_  
Both Harry and Adrienne smiled at her letter. "Daddy, please, can we go? Please!" Adrienne begged. Harry only thought about it for a few seconds before nodding.


	5. Christmas At Home

_Author's Note: I hope you are enjoying this! And thanks to my beta, Cierra, for beta-ing! Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers! Love you all!_

_The Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Ginny Weasley or anyone else you may recognize. They belong to the famous and wonderful J.K. Rowling. I am just borrowing them for my pleasure - and hopefully my readers' as well!_

_And now, on to Chapter Five!!!........_

**Chapter Five  
  
Christmas at Home**

So, for the next few weeks, Adrienne and Harry bought Christmas presents for everyone, even those they didn't know yet. On Adrienne's last day of school, he picked her up as soon as it was over - at noon: it was a half- day. Their bags were already packed. They would go by Floo Powder. It was already five in the evening in England. Harry carefully explained Floo Powder for the millionth time to Adrienne. She held her breath as Harry threw down the powder and called out Ginny's address. He watched nervously as Adrienne disappeared in the green flames. He followed quickly, falling as soon as he stopped spinning. Ginny stifled her chuckles and helped him up, hugging him in the process.  
  
From the house's appearance, Ginny granted Sean both sides. They had a television and a phone and a computer and lights but cloaks hung on the racks and broomsticks in the cupboard just inside the door. They had Muggle fairy tales for Sean but magical ones as well, and Ginny had a variety of books, varying from Charles Dickens to Fabina Estelle, a popular witch biographer.  
  
"Oh, I'm so glad you two are here! I missed you even more in the last four months than in the last few years!" Ginny shouted. She showed them around before Harry looked out the window to see snow piled high and cars driving slowly down the icy street.  
  
"They drive on the right side of the street! Finally!" Harry threw his arms up in the air with joy. Adrienne looked out and rolled her eyes. To her, they drove on the wrong side of the street.  
  
They waited for Hermione and Viktor to arrive before eating. Hermione was thrilled to see Harry and Adrienne again. They all talked of Christmas Eve. Hermione and Viktor left after the sweets. Sean and Adrienne appeared tired around ten although in New Jersey it was only five. They went off to bed while Harry and Ginny stayed down to talk. They tried to dream of all the faces they would see in a few days before going to bed.  
  
For the next few days, they went ice skating in the park and into the town and at night, Harry and Ginny would stay up late talking of times past. They drove into London one day so Adrienne could get a glimpse of the city she had longed to see. She laughed every time she heard a British accent, thrilled with the sounds of England.  
  
The following Tuesday was Christmas Eve. Harry woke to his heart pounding out of control. In a few hours, he would see everyone again! They ate breakfast and Ginny took some of the presents to the Burrow. Her mother asked her continually what she was hiding but Ginny would not say. Finally, four o'clock came. They started to get ready to leave. It took the girls almost two hours. Adrienne came down with her blonde hair curled. She wore a skirt going down to her knees and a Christmas top. Harry was stunned by Ginny. Her red hair had been let down. Every day since they had met again in August, she had always worn her hair up. It was curled and looked wonderful. She wore a skirt as well. Harry couldn't take his eyes off her. The feeling of his stomach flipping uncontrollably inside returned, just like before.  
  
Ginny smiled nervously and said, "Good luck, Potter, and I honestly hope you live through the bone-crushing hug Mum's about to give you." She and Sean climbed into the fireplace and were whisked away in Green flames. Then, Harry and Adrienne stepped in. Harry was sure everyone in the world could hear his heart beating. He forced the words out of his mouth and felt the familiar spinning sensation before landing in the warm home.  
  
The Burrow.  
  
Ginny smiled good luck and called, "Mum, Dad, we're here!" Not a sound was heard. Ginny looked at Harry, asking him to say something.  
  
"Where are you?" he asked. Dozens of footsteps and shouts were heard from above. They got closer until they could see Mrs. Weasley's face from the stairs.  
  
"Harry!" she cried, running forward and pulling him into a bear hug. In the next few minutes, he received a hug or handshake from everyone.  
  
"You're back, mate!" Ron shouted, giving him a brotherly hug.  
  
"Oh, this is the best present!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Dozens of questions came at him next.  
  
"How are you, Harry?"  
  
"Where in bloody hell have you been?"  
  
"Why in bloody hell did you leave?"  
  
"How long have you been talking to Gin?"  
  
And finally, "Harry, who is this?" Lavender asked.  
  
"I'd like to introduce everyone to my daughter, Adrienne. Adrienne, this is...well...everyone." Mrs. Weasley came forward and hugged her, crying.  
  
"Oh, Harry, this is so wonderful! But now answer all the other questions," she ordered, making everyone laugh.  
  
"We're fine; we've been in New Jersey, the USA; it gets complicated; and since August," Harry replied.  
  
"August, mate? You talk to my sister but not me?" Ron said, laughing. He had never caught onto the fact that Harry and Ginny had dated - a single night.  
  
"Well...we kind of ran into each other – literally...almost," Ginny told him.  
  
"I _knew_ something happened there, Ginny! I _knew_ it!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. Ginny glared at her mother playfully, blushing a little.  
  
They all started to get dinner from the many trays in the kitchen a few minutes later. It was quickly discovered that Hermione had known the secret as well and she was proud. Ron shook his head trying to hide his smile. All the children played together but Adrienne was suddenly shy. She stayed at Harry's side as all the adults joked over the times past. She laughed at every Harry bashing joke Fred and George made. Mrs. Weasley always hit them over the head but eventually ended up laughing.  
  
They all went to bed around eleven. Harry lay awake while Adrienne slept soundly next to him. All the wonderful memories flooded back to him. He wondered why he had ever left. And Ginny. Every time he saw her laugh, his stomach flipped and he smiled too. Thinking of having to leave again was unbearable.  
  
The next morning, he woke to see his daughter's bright blue eyes. She was shaking him furiously. Ginny and Sean came in within a moment and jumped on the bed as well. They all laughed. Harry felt his face get a bit red; he was still in his pyjamas. But, he was reassured when he noticed Ginny had forgotten a dressing gown. After she grabbed her dressing gown, they all went downstairs to find all the Weasleys waiting to open presents. Even if Adrienne had been a surprise, she had just as many gifts as the others including a set of robes from both Hermione and Ginny.  
  
Harry had finished opening his gifts as had Ron. Ron sat down next to his friend and started chuckling. Harry tore his eyes away from Ginny confused.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"You fancy my sister, don't you?" he said through his laughs.  
  
"I-I...no I don't!" Harry protested. Ron continued to laugh. "We're friends, Ron."  
  
"I'm not that thick, Harry. You smile every time you see her laughing and your eyes get all dreamy. It's not hard to see."  
  
With that said, Ron stood and went over to his wife and baby. Mrs. Weasley came in flipping through a photo album. She walked over to Adrienne. "Here you go, dear! These are pictures of your father at Hogwarts." Adrienne's face lit up and she looked through it, smiling at it all.  
  
"Here's one of you and Ginny, Dad!" she shouted. She showed her father the picture taken after Ginny's graduation. She had asked for pictures with all her friends, which obviously included Harry. He had his arm wrapped around her neck in a friendly way and was smiling cheekily. She flipped the page to see one of her father's arms around Ginny's neck and the other in a fist, rubbing the life out of her scalp. Ginny was laughing and screaming at the same time. Harry laughed at the memory. Ginny came to see and started laughing as well.  
  
"The first element of proof that you fancied my sister!" said Fred when he came over. The whole room fell silent.  
  
"What?" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley. Fred started laughing.  
  
"I'm just jokin', Mum!" he replied, settling everyone's confusion. Harry and Ginny looked at each other and stifled their own laughs. Harry's face was still red.  
  
The pictures continued through until the year Harry left, contradicting what Mrs. Weasley had said. A few were with Ginny but most were with Ron and Hermione.  
  
They ate brunch and let the children play with their new things. Ginny and Hermione had gotten Adrienne various things for Hogwarts. She looked at the photo album and read the instructions to the various jokes and pranks Fred and George had awarded her with. The adults played chess and Exploding Snap.  
  
Finally, after a wonderfully huge dinner, the time had come for Ginny, Harry, Adrienne and Sean to leave. Adrienne and Sean were confident they could go alone so Harry and Ginny stepped into the fire place. When they looked over, they saw smirks on two faces: Hermione's and Ron's.  
  
"What?" they both said in unison. Ron nodded his head upwards.  
  
"Look up," he replied. Both Harry and Ginny looked up to see a clump of mistletoe hanging above their heads.  
  
"You know what that means!" Hermione added pleasantly. "You have to kiss!" Ginny bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling. They looked at each other and leaned in. Their lips touched. Ginny placed her hands on Harry's face while his found their place on her waist. They continued to kiss but finally pulled apart a moment later. They stared at each other, smiling for a moment before, "It was supposed to be a kiss not a long romantic moment!" Harry glared at Ron before glancing at his daughter. He couldn't read her expression. He threw down the powder and shouted Ginny's address. They disappeared in green flames.  
  
When they stepped out of Ginny's fireplace, they were both trying to hide smiles. Sean came a moment later with a disgusted look mounted on his face. "Ew! That was disgusting!" he shouted. They both laughed a little before Adrienne appeared with a large yawn.  
  
"Adri, you look exhausted. I think you should go to bed," Harry said. She nodded and Harry followed her upstairs. Ginny followed, carrying Sean. Harry waited while Adrienne changed before going in to tuck her in.  
  
"Hey kiddo, you all right?" he asked. She smiled, knowing what he was talking about, and nodded. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine. You and Mom were never more than just friends and I think it would be kinda cool if you and Ginny were. I mean all the pictures of you and how you look at each other, it's really nice. And I like Ginny, she's cool," she replied, smiling. Harry said goodnight and turned out the light, shutting the door behind him.  
  
The next day, they toured the town a little and went ice skating. Finally, Harry decided he would Apparate to Hogsmeade and then walk to Hogwarts to see his old Headmaster, Dumbledore. He left early in the morning and enjoyed walking through the crisp morning air of winter. He was incredibly nervous as he climbed the steps and opened the large doors to the entrance hall. He was stopped by a talking suit of armour. He quickly explained why he was there just as a shocked looking teacher, whom he did not recognize, saw him and sprinted away. He rolled his eyes and continued up the many stairs to Dumbledore's tower. It was then he figured that he had no password for this tower so he stood for a matter of five minutes before he heard soft footsteps coming from behind him.  
  
"Excuse me, sir, can I help you?" asked a wise old voice. Harry turned and smiled at the tall man with his long silver beard, half-moon spectacles, crooked nose and sparkling eyes. He broke out in a smile just as Dumbledore stopped short. "Harry?" he asked. Harry nodded.  
  
"Yes sir," he replied proudly.  
  
"Why...what a surprise! I surely did not expect to see you here this holiday!" said the old man, coming forward to shake Harry's hand. "Please, come up!" Dumbledore stepped to the gargoyle's and said, "Peppermint Twist!" They sprang to life and jumped away from the entrance. Harry stepped on the spiral wooden staircase followed by his old Headmaster and it carried them up.  
  
The office had not changed at all. The many portraits still hung on the circular walls. Light reflected from the snow through the windows. Dumbledore took a seat in his high-backed chair while Harry took a rather squashy one opposite him.  
  
"What brings you here today?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Well, sir, I have been living in America for the past five years and while there, I adopted a young girl and I have come to realize that she is a witch. She is ten and should be attending a magical school next year but I was hoping that she could come here," Harry explained.  
  
"Well, if she is in fact a witch and your daughter, then I see absolutely no reason to say no! If you'll just let me check, however...what is her full birth name?"  
  
"Adrienne Sophia Eyre," Harry stated while Dumbledore began digging through a drawer. He pulled out a list and flipped through a few pages of it.  
  
"Yes, she is a witch. She would be going to Titania in the fall but if you like, I will make the decision to accept her here as well.  
  
"Now on to you, Harry; will you be staying in England or at least reappearing in our world?" Harry was silent for a moment. "I know you are wanted here," he added, a mysterious twinkle in his eye.  
  
"I would like to, really, now that I am here again but having Adrienne change schools in the middle of a school year like this would be certain torture to her. I am thinking about returning when she gets out of school in late May," Harry replied.  
  
"I should hope so!" Dumbledore agreed. Harry gave him a questioning look. "There is a certain...person, whom I will not name, that would be put under certain agony if you left again." He stopped there. Harry opened his mouth to question the man but he put his finger up. "Alas, Harry, I do believe I have a staff meeting to attend. I believe you know the way out...and it was truly wonderful to see you again." The man stood, as did Harry, and they shook hands before Harry left the school.  
  
He Apparated back to Ginny's to find the three just walking in the door. Adrienne ran to him, scaring him. "Daddy!" she yelled. He looked at her confused.  
  
"Erm...yes?"  
  
"I was kind of wondering...I want to move here!" she told him.  
  
"Well, you'll be here in the fall no matter what. Dumbledore said you can go to Hogwarts!"  
  
"Yes!" Adrienne smiled brightly but Harry could tell she was not finished. "But, I mean...I think it would be cool to finish the school year here, in England...in Alton."  
  
"We'll be leaving right about now..." said Ginny. She and Sean went into the family room while Harry and Adrienne sat down.  
  
"Adri, our life is in New Jersey. That's where your school is. Don't you want to say goodbye to your friends?" Harry asked. Truthfully, he would love to move back to England but it wasn't that easy.  
  
"What friends?" Adrienne asked solemnly. "Dad, I don't have any friends. Not anymore."  
  
"Of course you do. What about Natasha?"  
  
"She hangs out with Ramie and Shelby now."  
  
"And Chris?"  
  
"He moved in November, remember?"  
  
"Jenny?"  
  
"She hangs out with Danielle and Brianna, not with me."  
  
"Rebecca?" Harry continued, still trying to make his daughter see that she had friends. He was hoping she did but was beginning to realize she didn't. She hadn't invited anyone over in ages and rarely talked about her friends anymore.  
  
"She turned mean and hangs out with the punks. Brandon and Jason think they're too cool after they got on the Jam basketball team. Jessie and Gregory are getting into trouble all the time. Brittany and Sarah are trying to be like the cheerleaders you see in movies and never even talk to me anymore," she explained.  
  
"Adri, it's not that easy to just move here..." Harry reasoned.  
  
"Will you at least think about it?" Adrienne asked with a pleading smile. Harry agreed.  
  
He stayed up with Ginny after Sean and Adrienne went to bed that night. "So, have you thought about it yet?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Well...a little...but I don't know. It's not that easy. I'd have to give up my job and sell my car and pack and move and...do you think she really wants to move here? And, I can't just say yes because she wants to...our whole life is in New Jersey..." Harry replied.  
  
"Harry, I doubt you actually like your job; that car is backwards anyway; pack with a spell – it takes ten seconds; she was downright begging you; but, do you want to come back?" Ginny asked, praying he did.  
  
"Of course but..."  
  
"Well then what's stopping you?" she replied, cutting him off. "Harry, you're a wizard living in a Muggle world where you don't belong. What life is in America for you? We're all here; the wizarding world and your real career are still waiting for you." She was careful not to mention the true reason he should come back – she wanted to be with him. "Mum would hate it if you left again and so would everyone else; not to mention the fact that your daughter wants to start over here. I remember having no friends in my first year at Hogwarts and I know your years in Muggle school weren't the friendliest. Imagine how she feels. She and Sean get along great and we all love her. No one wants to see either of you get back into a fireplace and disappear!"  
  
Two more days passed. Harry continued to ponder this new option. Finally, on Saturday, he had come up with a decision. They ate dinner at the Burrow that night, thought it was not as crowded as Christmas had been. The dinner merely consisted of Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione along with their families. By now, they all knew of Harry's thoughts on considering his return to England. They were all anxious to know what his decision was.  
  
Harry had thought about it carefully. Where was the reason in going back to New Jersey? He and Adrienne really didn't have anything there. His whole surrogate family was here and so was the life he had once loved but given up. Before him sat the small possibility of loving Ginny again, like he was quickly realizing he would love to do - he already did; he just wanted the opportunity to be near her again, to let her know that again. Of course, she had changed a little but she was still the soft-hearted, kind, funny woman who had once been his best friend.  
  
"So, 'arry," Ron started with his mouth full. All the women at the table glared at him. He finished chewing before continuing. "Have you decided if you're moving back here or not?"  
  
Harry forced his smile to remain hidden and nodded. Adrienne looked at him with anxiety. They all followed suit, forgetting all about the food.  
  
"And?" Hermione demanded, sounding oddly like Ron.  
  
"Well..." Harry started. He was enjoying the look of utter fear on their faces, especially Ginny and Adrienne's. "I do like it in New Jersey, it's rather nice and the most fun can be had listening and watching Americans drive on the wrong side of the street, I'll have to admit. But...everyone has been right in saying that we really don't have anything there. Our world is here as are our family and our friends. After seeing everyone again and after Adrienne begging me to move here for two days, I really can't find a reason to go back so, I think we will be going back a bit early but only to pack and such so Adrienne can finish the school year here."  
  
"Thank you, Dad!" Adrienne threw her arms around Harry's centre, frightening him. He laughed a little, hugging his daughter back. He got hugs and congratulations from everyone while and after they ate. Ron asked to help with packing and Harry quickly agreed. So, as soon as dinner was over, Harry, Adrienne, Ron and even Ginny went back to Harry's house in New Jersey to begin packing.  
  
Ron was a little surprised that it was barely two in the afternoon in New Jersey. Harry called his landlord to announce that he would be out within a matter of weeks. Ginny and Adrienne went to get some boxes to pack things in while Harry and Ron started the long process. Ginny helped Adrienne pack her things carefully while Ron and Harry tackled his bedroom and the kitchen. By the end of the day – and with more help from half the other Weasleys – half the house had been packed. Harry and Adrienne decided to stay with Ginny until they found a place of their own in Alton, preferably.  
  
On Monday, Harry went into work to explain his resignation to his boss, who accepted with wishes of good luck. He packed up his office that day while Ron and Ginny continued to wash and pack things. Mrs. Weasley was looking for houses in Alton for them and every time she found one, she would stick her head in the fireplace to tell them all about it. Harry finally went back to see one just two blocks from Ginny's house and three from the primary school where Sean attended and Adrienne would be attending. He quickly agreed and signed a lease. When he returned home, he called a shipping company to transport everything.  
  
On Tuesday, Harry took Adrienne to the primary school and enrolled her. After, Ginny took her to get the uniform. This was the only part Adrienne was unsure about. In New Jersey, Harry sold his car and called the phone and electricity companies. Surprisingly, with a lot of help, it had taken him only a few days to pack. He helped the shipping company load everything and then met his landlord to give back the key. So as not to arise suspicion, he called a cab and boarded a plane at the Newark Airport to London, where he could Apparate safely to Ginny's.  
  
It took three days for everything to arrive, during which time, Harry and Adrienne remained with Ginny, who was quite happy to have the company. Also during this time, Adrienne started her first day of school in Alton, England.  
  
She walked there in her new uniform with Harry and Ginny but refused to let them walk her any further than the entrance. Harry wished her luck and they left with a smile. She promised she would walk home with Sean.  
  
She found her classroom and entered to find a group of other ten year olds and a short, fat teacher sitting at the desk at the front of the room. Adrienne went up to her and explained that she was the new student, Adrienne Eyre-Potter. The teachers name was Mrs. Lexington. She told Adrienne where to sit – the third desk in the last row on the left – before the bell rang. All the students rushed to their seats and the room was suddenly quiet.  
  
"All right, class, we have a new student today. Adrienne, why don't you come up and introduce yourself?" she suggested. Adrienne rose and went to the front of the class.  
  
"My name is Adrienne and I'm from Old Tappan, New Jersey – the U.S. My dad and I moved here over the break..." she started. Immediately a hand shot up.  
  
"Have you ever been to New York City?" asked a girl in the third row; she sat next to Adrienne.  
  
"We went there a lot and I lived in The Village until I was five," she replied, happy someone was interested.  
  
"Did you live in America your whole life?" asked one boy in the back.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What's your favourite thing to do?" the teacher inquired.  
  
"Um...I like music and I play the violin...and I like to write," she replied honestly. No one really knew that she liked to write but she had decided that she wasn't going to hide this time. This was a chance to start anew.   
  
"What do you like to write?" questioned a small girl on the far right.  
  
"Anything really, poems, short stories, long stories, even music.  
  
"Who's your favourite band?" asked a boy in the middle of the room.  
  
"Probably Hoobastank. It's an American band from about eight years ago but some of their songs are kinda cool.  
  
"Well, Adrienne, why don't you sit down? I'll give you the things you need throughout the day." Adrienne sat down quietly as the teacher started to explain what they were to do that day. Just a moment later, she received a note from the girl next to her.  
  
_Adrienne – Hope I spelled that right. I'm Gina. I think I saw you walking to school this morning with a red haired lady and black hair man and blonde boy...I don't think I live far from you. It's cool that you lived in New York City for five years! I've only been there once when I was really little but that's where my mum grew up so I want to go again. Did you like it?  
  
Gina  
  
_Adrienne tried not to look 'dumb' by smiling but grabbed a pencil and began writing back.  
  
_I loved it there! My favorite – scratch that...favourite (strange spelling!) place was SoHo – they had some really awesome shops. My mom used to take me there all the time. That was me you saw! My dad's the black haired man – his name is Harry – and Ginny is his friend. Sean is the blonde boy – he's five. He's in the...reception class - I think. In New Jersey, we call it kindergarten. I live three blocks from here...what about you?  
  
Adrienne  
  
_So, they passed notes for a majority of the time until the morning break. Gina helped Adrienne to understand a few things like the years in English schools. They went back into class while the teacher started their reading assignment. They were starting a book called Cheaper by the Dozen. Adrienne had already read it but it was a good book. The teacher called on her to read first. After hearing a few of the other students talking with their British accents, she felt a little different but didn't mind. No one seemed to care.  
  
At lunch, she and Gina sat together along with a group of other students including a tall girl named Rachel, another named Ashley and a third named Paula. She was welcomed into their group immediately.  
  
She kept her promise by walking Sean home but Gina came with them. As it turned out, she lived just across the street from Adrienne. They parted ways after promising to see each other the next day. Adrienne went inside to find her dad unpacking more things into their new home.  
  
The new house was a three bedroom house with a kitchen, dining room, family room and lounge. Her bedroom was a little bigger and much larger than the one she had occupied in Old Tappan. It overlooked the garden and had a perfect view of the sunset. Her furniture had just arrived. Harry had asked the shippers to put it in her room but gave her the chance to decide where everything should go. He helped her put the furniture in place and then she decorated it. They ate their first dinner in the new house and then Adrienne did her homework.  
  
Harry continued to settle them into the new house for the next few days while Adrienne enjoyed her new school and new friends. Harry enjoyed listening to her tell him everything about her day as she once had. It was the first time he realized that since the beginning of her fifth grade year, she hadn't done that.  
  
So, Christmas had brought more than just the pleasures of seeing lost friends and family again. Harry was finally able to breathe in the English air. Adrienne was ecstatic all the time. He was reunited with the Weasley and best of all: Ginny was just a few blocks away. 


	6. A Full Return to the World He Missed

**Chapter Six  
  
A Full Return to the World He Missed  
**  
Another few weeks passed before Harry and Adrienne had finally settled in to living in England. Harry had found her a violin teacher and she was accepted onto the local football team. For a small celebration of all this, he invited his three best friends – Ron, Hermione and Ginny – along with Elizabeth, Viktor, Sean and Lavender to eat dinner the following Friday. They expanded the table and conjured a few extra chairs with magic so everyone would fit. Before long, the subject of a job came up.  
  
"So, Harry, do you think you'll go back to being an Auror?" Ron asked.  
  
"Erm...I don't know..."  
  
"What's an Auror?" Adrienne wondered aloud.  
  
"It's like a Muggle detective only for wizards and witches. Ginny's an Auror. They track down old Death Eaters and such and take them to Azkaban," Harry explained.  
  
"Only it's not as busy as it was before Voldemort fell. The last time I was on an excursion was in November and it was on Marcus Flint. Easy catch if you ask me," Ginny told them.  
  
"You really should Harry. I mean, you were the best Auror since Mad-Eye Moody and I bet they'd love to have you back."  
  
"Thanks but do you think it really wouldn't cause some ridiculous uproar if I just waltzed into the Ministry for Magic and told them I wanted my job back?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh no, you'd be on the front cover of _Witch Weekly_, the _Daily Prophet_, and maybe even _The Quibbler _by the next day but you're going to be sometime soon if you announce yourself or not. You're back in England, Harry, and the first wizard outside our family who sees you will tell and they won't hesitate," Ron explained.  
  
"Well, dear brother, that'll persuade him!" Ginny replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Why would he be on the front of a bunch of magazines?" Adrienne asked.  
  
"You father is probably the most famous wizard since...well...probably ever. They announced his disappearance worldwide in the wizarding community and posted missing posters up for years afterward. His return won't go unnoticed," Hermione explained.  
  
"Honestly Harry, you know you want to. You make money and basically do next to nothing for weeks or even months at a time anymore. You really should!" Ginny was practically begging.  
  
"I suppose you're right...it is far past time for me to return and I do miss it...I'll go into the Ministry in a few days to arrange a meeting or...whatever..." Harry agreed.  
  
Over the weekend, he pulled things out of his old trunk. Books upon books floated from the dusty bottom; robes and cloaks returned to life; defence mechanisms brought Harry back to where he knew he belonged. He showed all of this to Adrienne, who was thrilled to see it all. He read over his old books, treasuring the memories each held. He had used most of the spells countless times and each had some special meaning.  
  
He finally went to the Ministry on Thursday. He Apparated to London and climbed into the compact telephone box. He dialled the numbers – 6-2-4-4-2 – before a smooth voice could be heard filling the area as if the woman was right inside.  
  
"Welcome to the Ministry for Magic. Please state your name and business," she said smoothly.  
  
"Erm...Harry Potter and I would like to meet with Amelia Bones about returning as an Auror," Harry replied. He heard a small 'tick!' from the change slot. He grabbed the purple pin and slid it onto his robes.  
  
"Please submit your wand at the registry desk located at the back of the Atrium and I hope you enjoy your time in the Ministry for Magic!" The box shook a little before Harry felt his stomach turn and he began to go down slowly. After a moment, the lift stopped to reveal a long hall. The floor was decorated with beautiful wood. Fireplaces were positioned against the sides. On the left, people left the Ministry while on the right, wizards and witches were crashing in. A chandelier of candles hung magically from the ceiling. Harry smiled. He had never realized how much he had missed this place.  
  
He walked to the back of the Atrium and gave his wand to the small little wizard on the opposite side of the desk. When the wizard saw Harry's pin, his eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open in awe. He forced it shut and quickly continued the process, his hands fumbling a bit. His eyes stared at the scar still vividly visible on Harry's forehead as Harry took back his wand and slipped it back into his robes.  
  
He walked away from the shocked man and got into the lift with several flying airplanes and a few other wizards who tried not to gawk. He quickly made his exit upon reaching the second level. He walked down the long hall and took a deep breath as he entered the office of his old boss, Amelia Bones. A cheery witch looked up to him and clamped her mouth shut at the sight of his scar. Her eyes, however, she had no control over.  
  
"M-Mr. Potter!" she stuttered, "I-I suppose you want to talk to Amelia?"  
  
"Please, Lucy," Harry replied, shooting her a smile. She leaped up, almost tripping over her own feet, and rushed into a door behind her. A moment later, the little woman with short grey hair fumbled out of the office. Her eyes grew wide in surprise.  
  
"Harry!" Her mouth continued to move but sounds escaped her. "This is certainly a surprise!" she finally managed. She moved forward and shook Harry's hand before leading him into her office and closing the door.  
  
He sat in one of the purple Ministry chairs opposite her. They were silent for just a moment before Harry began speaking. "Erm...well...I admit that my leave last time was a bit...uncertified and not too bright but I am back. I have lived in the USA for the past five years and recently moved back to England and hopefully back into the Ministry. I was hoping I could be tested again to be an Auror?" he said professionally.  
  
"Well, of course! You were one of our top Aurors! I warn you that the work is far less demanding now but we are always in need of a good Auror.  
  
"There would be the written exam and then the practical exam but I have no doubt that you will pass both. You do know that returning to the Ministry will alert the public, right?" Harry nodded.  
  
"I was prepared for that so I think I'm finally ready. I've been gone far too long."  
  
"Well, then can I schedule for the exams tomorrow?" He nodded again. "You'll need to be here about nine and you should probably finish by three or so." Harry quickly agreed. "But, off business! What have you been doing?"  
  
"Erm...I managed a security company in New Jersey – Muggle work. Hermione owled me last April and we've been in touch since then. I met Ginny surprisingly at a beach about two hours from where I lived last August..." He was cut off.  
  
"I knew something had changed while she was away!" burst Amelia, the second to say that. Harry gave a little laugh. "But...erm...what happened over there? Marriage? Kids?" Amelia inquired.  
  
"No marriage, but I do have a daughter now. Her mother was a great friend of mine but she was killed in a Muggle car accident about two and a half years ago and Adrienne came to live with me. I've since realized that she is a witch and she will be attending Hogwarts in the fall."  
  
"Well, this surely is a change for her!"  
  
"Yeah but she's loving every minute of it. I'm surprised she hasn't started counting down the minutes until she leaves for Hogwarts; she's already started counting the days." Amelia laughed a little. He gave her permission to do an interview with the Daily Prophet on his return, knowing they would soon be in to ask her. Countless people had already seen him that day and surely the wizarding newspaper would quickly be informed. They continued to talk for a while before Harry left, promising to return the following day.  
  
He Apparated directly to Ginny's after his meeting with Amelia. She was surprised to see him but greeted him with a friendly hug anyway.  
  
"How did the meeting go?" she asked.  
  
"It went well. I have the exams tomorrow and word that I've returned should be all over England by morning and that's the only thing I'm dreading," Harry joked. Ginny couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Harry, you knew it would happen and be honest, you must admit you're happy about it. I mean, you were a manager of some Muggle company for five years and finally, the famous Harry Potter is once again the wonderful Auror everyone loves," she replied rolling her eyes. He nodded in agreement; he wasn't thrilled with fame but he did miss the old life... though the addition of Adrienne was a certain benefit to this one.  
  
"But, I was thinking: maybe tomorrow after I get back from those terrible things the four of us could go to Diagon Alley. Adri's been begging me since we arrived and I think it'd be nice for the four of us to go. Maybe we could even catch a glance of your old flat," Harry proposed.  
  
"We could also go today. Sean's been asking me to go as well."  
  
"Adri's got football practice tonight and tomorrow they won't have homework to deal with," Harry reminded her.  
  
"Yeah, that would be a bonus, wouldn't it? Well, then, we'll all meet here after you get back and have a lovely time in Diagon Alley!"  
  
Ten minutes later, both Sean and Adrienne walked in the door: Adrienne had been told to go to Ginny's after school the next day since Harry thought it unlikely he would be home before four. Harry and Ginny travelled back to his house by Floo Powder so Adrienne could change into her practice uniform and Harry could drive her to the pitch. She practiced for an hour and a half before they grabbed some pizza and left for home. Adrienne did her homework while Harry studied some last minute spells. Adrienne was thrilled to learn she would finally be visiting Diagon Alley the next day.  
  
Harry was awakened in the morning by Ginny ringing the doorbell. He went down in his dressing gown; it was only six in the morning. Ginny handed him the paper.  
  
**Harry Potter Returns!**

After five years away from England and the Wizarding World,  
Harry Potter has returned! In an interview with Head of the  
Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, late  
yesterday, we have learned of Mr. Potter's whereabouts during  
his long leave of absence.  
  
He was living in a Muggle town called Old Tappan in New  
Jersey of the United States. He was the head manager of a  
major security company in the area for the entire time.  
Through his work, he met Lisa Eyre, the Muggle secretary, and  
they were soon friends. Not two years later, Miss Eyre was  
killed in a Muggle car accident (collision of two Muggle  
transportation mechanisms) and she asked that Harry take care  
of her daughter, whose name will not be released. He agreed  
and the girl has been living with him ever since. "He appears  
to be proud of his decision for that single reason," says  
Amelia Bones. She also told us that the young girl is  
actually a witch, Muggle-born apparently, and will be  
attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this  
coming fall.  
  
Bones declares that Potter told her he has made a permanent  
move back to the Wizarding World and to England. He is  
scheduled to take the exams for a second time to be re-  
qualified as an Auror. The public may remember him as a top  
Auror for the Ministry before his leave and also the one to  
finally defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.  
  
Ginny read it to him as he made some tea and toast. Adrienne came into the kitchen to hear this but was a bit confused. Harry laughed at half the sentences as he always had and Ginny sniggered a little. They ate breakfast while Harry glared at the picture they had placed on the front page – the one taken for his ID badge at the Ministry twelve years before. He had not been in the most pleasant of moods that day and his hair was particularly messy.  
  
Ginny left after a few minutes; she had left Sean at home still asleep. Harry left as soon as Adrienne was at school. He received a pin again and had his wand registered by the same little wizard from the previous day before he took the lift to the second floor.  
  
The written exam was difficult and long – it took nearly three and a half hours. Harry ate lunch in the Ministry cafeteria before returning for the practical exam. He found it rather easy since he had been practicing his spells for the past week. Amelia applauded him as soon as it was over. She had not given the exam but watched it. Though the official decision had not yet been made, she reassured Harry that he would easily be re-accepted.  
  
He awaited conformation in the small area outside Amelia's office for just a few minutes. Then three people came out: the Mistress for Magic, Adrasteia Virgo, Amelia Bones and Griselda Marchbanks, who looked even older than when Harry had last seen her – at his N.E.W.T. practical exams. They all came out looking rather happy.  
  
"Well, Harry, the unanimous decision is you are definitely qualified to return to your previous position as an Auror," said Griselda Marchbanks. Harry sighed with relief.  
  
"I'll show you your new office," added Amelia. They all exited into the hall. While Griselda Marchbanks and the Mistress for Magic left for the lift, Harry went into the large room where all the Aurors worked. He followed Amelia to one at the far side of the room facing the window. From the moving pictures of Sean and the Weasleys, it was easy to decipher that Ginny's office was directly next to his. He knew, though, that she only came in three days a week and only while Sean was at school but remained on call at all hours of the day.  
  
It was nearly four-thirty when he finally left. He was required to get a new ID badge, which fortunately demanded a new photo, and sign several pieces of parchment. He agreed to be at work by nine on Monday morning.  
  
He took the lift down one level and walked down the hall. He passed the cafeteria and a few conference rooms before reaching the room for Apparation. He walked in and Disapparated to Ginny's as they had agreed.  
  
Adrienne, Sean and Ginny were patiently awaiting his return; ready to leave with robes donned. Adrienne wore the ones she had received from Ginny. They were a twinkling blue, making her look as if she was wearing the night sky. Sean's were shimmering silver and Ginny's were pale blue. Harry's were maroon with gold fastenings, making everyone sure he was a Gryffindor.  
  
They took Floo Powder to Diagon Alley. Tom caught Harry's attention quickly by yelling, "Oy! It's Harry Potter!" Harry gave a laugh and shook the man's hand. Mumbles were heard throughout the bar as Harry, Ginny, Sean and Adrienne all left for the small courtyard. Ginny tapped the bricks and both children's eyes widened as they saw the bricks rearrange themselves into an arch which gave them sight of Diagon Alley.  
  
The cobblestone street was bustling with activity. The enchanted sky brought rays of sunlight down onto the shoppers. They all walked into the long alley and looked around. Ahead was the tilted white building deemed Gringotts. As they walked, Harry remembered all the wonderful times he had come here. They first went to Gringotts to collect money from the bank. Harry had Apparated to Gringotts once in the past few days and replaced his funds in the wizarding bank. He and Ginny collected enough money for a few treats before leaving.  
  
First, Ginny and Harry were dragged into the Magical Menagerie by both children. They both fawned over the various animals including cats, rats, toads, dogs, birds, fish, and even a few snakes. They finally escaped the loud store after about twenty-minutes.  
  
"Harry, let's take them down Lower Lane!" Ginny requested. They all followed her down another cobblestone street that wound around. She stopped dead in front of a tilted building holding a few flats. She and Harry both smiled. She would always hold parties there at various times of the year and she often had her friends, including Harry, over for dinner. That had been the last place Harry had seen her before he fled.  
  
"What's this, Ginny?" Adrienne asked, not finding anything extraordinary about the building.  
  
"This is where I used to live before we moved to Alton. Sean, you lived up there for about two months before we moved," she replied, still looking dreamily at the top window. Sean didn't look extremely thrilled. "Come on! Colin lives there now, let's go up!" Ginny started toward the door.  
  
"Colin _Creevey_?" Harry asked. She nodded.  
  
"And yes, Harry, he still has his camera," Ginny added. Harry gave a look of feigned fear. "Oh, stop it!"  
  
"You dated him! You're not supposed to be scared of him!"  
  
"Harry..." she rolled her eyes. "Well, I suppose a guy wouldn't be thrilled with the bloke who started a fan club for him," she added through laughs.  
  
They climbed up the rickety steps, finally stopping at the third landing. Ginny knocked on the door. Feet ran quickly toward it and it opened to reveal a man of about 170 cm with the same mousy brown hair he had during his Hogwarts years.  
  
"Ginny! Harry!" he beamed upon recognizing them. "Come on in, all of you!" He ushered them inside. He seemed quite changed from the days when he followed Harry around constantly, trying to befriend him. Now, he was a professional photographer for the _Daily Prophet_, living a good life. He showed Harry and Ginny around, bringing back nice memories. Harry remembered how peaceful Ginny had looked when she slept after their defeat of Voldemort. As he recalled this, a dreamy smile formed on his face and all sounds of reality drifted from his head. His attention was finally found when Ginny waved her hand in front of his face. Colin was going the opposite direction with Sean and Adrienne, who were both interested in his photography. Ginny smiled knowingly at Harry and, unless Harry was mistaken, he could have sworn he saw her wink at him.  
  
They left after a few minutes at Colin's and went into a few more stores including the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Of course, Adrienne refused to leave Flourish and Blott's for at least half an hour. Harry did get her a few books which she was sure to devour in no time at all.  
  
They ate dinner at a small café before getting ice cream and then taking Floo Powder back to Ginny's. After much begging, they all sat down to watch an old movie called 'Casper'. Only half an hour had passed when Ginny and Harry realized that both Adrienne and Sean were asleep.  
  
"I better get her home, then," Harry started but Ginny put her finger up to stop him from going further.  
  
"Harry, why don't you both just stay here tonight? I miss the company after Sean goes to sleep!" she protested. Harry didn't have to think about it for long; he agreed. In truth, he had missed those evenings as well. So, he carried Adrienne upstairs to the room where she had slept before and after taking off her trainers and cloak, he laid her in bed, still asleep. Ginny did the same with Sean. They closed the two doors quietly and snuck downstairs.  
  
Surprising Harry, Ginny got out two wine glasses and a bottle of wine. She poured a little in each glass before lighting a fire to warm them and sitting on the couch. Harry sat next to her, but they faced each other. All was silent for a moment. Unlike a few times before, it was not an awkward silence, just a peaceful one, where the two stared at each other. Finally, Ginny looked away from Harry's brilliant green eyes and down at the fluffy couch beneath them, biting her lip nervously.  
  
"Erm...Harry?" she began.  
  
"Hmm?" replied Harry, returning to reality for the second time that day.  
  
"Do you...erm, remember Christmas?" she asked. Harry smiled and stopped staring at her. He let out a small laugh. How could he forget?  
  
"It was the best Christmas of my life! How could I forget it?" he replied. He didn't let on but he knew exactly which part of Christmas she was talking about.  
  
"What about the end of it?" she continued. Harry smiled and stared at her. Her head lifted and his eyes found their way to her large brown ones with the glitters of gold in them.  
  
"Gin..." he began. She bit her lip again, obviously nervous about his response. "That was the best part."  
  
She broke out into a smile. "You mean the kiss, right?" she clarified. He nodded. Harry set his wine down on the coffee table and reached out his hand to hers. They moved closer together. Their eyes flittered shut as their lips touched again but this time, no mistletoe hung above them.  
  
They only parted when they heard a soft voice saying, "Yes!" from the direction of the stairs. They quickly looked, only to catch a glimpse of blonde hair floating away. They laughed a little before drawing into another kiss.  
  
The kiss grew deeper as the moments passed. Eventually, they pulled away from one another and smiled. Harry pulled Ginny closer to him as he laid back, her head resting on his shoulder. They rested there for a while, getting lost in the fire and the aroma of the other.  
  
They finally jumped up when the once red flames turned green and eventually formed into Hermione. She stood motionless in the fire for a moment before her husband, Viktor, appeared beside her.  
  
"Er...if we were disturbing something, we can come back..." Hermione said, glancing at the two questioningly.  
  
"No!" Ginny responded a little too quickly. "Erm...I mean, no, Hermione, you weren't disturbing anything. What did you need?"  
  
"Well, it's more of a want, you see..." Hermione began, a smile forming on her face along with Viktor's. She took his hand in hers. "We've just discovered that we're pregnant!" She practically yelled the words. Ginny jumped up and hugged her friends with Harry following. Congratulations were spread to the two but they demanded to depart not long after their arrival, letting Ginny and Harry return to their position on the couch.  
  
They kissed a little and talked a little for the next hour but mostly, they remained quiet. It was around midnight when they finally decided to head up to bed. Harry stayed with Ginny for a few minutes only. He would have liked to stay the night with her but he knew it would arise serious questioning from Sean and Adrienne. With a last kiss, he stood, still holding Ginny's hand, not wanting to leave.  
  
"You better not go far this time, Potter," Ginny told him, smiling. He leaned back down and kissed her for a moment before separating just a little.  
  
"Never again, Gin," he replied, placing another kiss on her lips.


End file.
